by Diane Leyne
Maggie’s photos were beautiful, but there was just something missing. He, Duncan, Adam, Joshua, and Jillian discussed it at length, and all reluctantly agreed that what Maggie was missing was the experience of truly submitting. She was showing the surface, but her photos didn’t look below the surface to get to the heart of the submissive experience. He, they, knew she could do it. The photos she had taken of various disaster areas had shown heart and empathy and a kinship with her subjects. These photos were aesthetically beautiful but emotionally void.
At first Chris hadn’t been sure why he was on the call. Sure he’d watched the scene, but he was a painter, not a photographer. He could critique the photos with an artist’s eye. However, he couldn’t add anything to the conversation that they hadn’t already discussed when the evaluation committee had looked at them. He’d quickly realized that they had had a previous call without him and had decided that they wanted to give Maggie another chance to win the job and had agreed that for Maggie to do justice to the subject, she first had to experience true submission and they had also decided that he was just the Dom to teach her what she needed to know.
“What makes you think she would agree to such a thing?”
“I don’t know how well you could see her face when she was watching me with Andie. There was a longing in her that I recognized. It was a combination of desire and fear. That’s why her photos are so shut off emotionally. She wants to experience what she’s seeing through the lens, and it scares her.”
“Max. You are her brother. Do you think that Duncan is right?” Chris realized that his question came out more hopeful than he’d wanted it to. Damn.
“Yes, Chris, I do. She’s a strong woman. She’s had to be. I’m not going to tell you about her early childhood, but let’s just say that the scars are there and she won’t allow herself to experience what she so desperately wants because of them. She needs a strong hand, and I’ve seen how she looks at you. I think you could be the one to break through.”
“I thought we were talking about her photographs?”
“Yes, of course. What else did you think we were talking about?”
“Never mind, Max. Look, I’m interested in her. You clearly know I am. But I still don’t get why you are doing this.”
“Chris, my sister wants this job. Desperately. I’ve talked to her. Even if she won’t admit to herself just what she wants. She needs to take these photos, I can see it. Hell, it will kill her if she loses this job, and she will. Josh?”
“Yeah.” Chris heard the apology in his tone. “The photos are beautiful, but the emotional connection is missing. Unless she can find it, and find it soon, we are going to have to go with another photographer.”
“If he doesn’t want to do this, maybe I can rearrange my schedule.” Adam’s deep voice irritated Chris for some reason. “And we are both photographers. That might give us a special connection. I’m probably a much better choice to do this. Chris, don’t worry about it. I’ll train Maggie. She’ll be a challenge, and I love a good challenge.”
Chris could almost hear the smile in his voice and was surprised when he felt a desire to punch Adam in the face. They normally were good friends, but right now, if they were in the same room, he knew he’d have to use all of his self-control not to attack him. Was it jealousy? Whatever it was…
“Maybe.” Josh’s voice was considering. “Maybe training without that messy emotional component would be the way to go. Chris. Sorry we bothered you.”
“No, I’ll do it.” The words were out of his mouth before he had made a conscious decision to say yes, but he realized that he did mean them. If he didn’t do it, they would find a photographer, maybe Adam or maybe someone else, and there was no way he wanted another Dom training Maggie, so he’d reluctantly agreed. He had to be back on the island soon to oversee construction of the expansion, and there was no way he was going to be there and watch Maggie on her knees for another Dom, and it seemed as if they knew it, too. Damn, was he that transparent? “God damn you all.” He was laughing now. “What happened to the Dom code? You all got together to manipulate me into this, didn’t you?”
“Actually—” Josh was laughing so hard he could hardly speak, “Actually, it was Jillian’s idea. My sweet slave has been topping us both from the bottom.”
“Well, I hope you redden her ass for this. And I’m not going to do it unless Maggie agrees.”
“Of course, to both.” There was some kind of commotion on the line, and then Chris could hear Jillian giggling.
“And I’m not going to be the one to tell Maggie. I don’t care who does it, but it’s not going to be me.” Chris tried to sound grouchy, but now that the decision was made, he was actually starting to look forward to it. He had planned on getting in touch with her and asking her out. Maybe this was better. He did hold firm that he wasn’t going to be the one to tell her that this was the condition for the book contract. He’d leave that pleasure to someone else, although he’d have paid good money to be watching from a safe distance. Leaning forward in his chair, he smiled to himself, wondering just how long it would take before Maggie stormed into his office.
Chapter Three
Maggie entered the restaurant and saw that Aly and Max were at a table on the right. She made her way over to them, stopping to give Aly a big hug before taking her seat opposite her friend.
“You are literally glowing. You’re not knocked up, are you?”
She looked inquiringly from Aly to Max and back again.
“No! Just really, really happy.”
“Does that mean he’s stopped beating your ass?”
Maggie watched as Aly changed color and Max laughed out loud.
“I guess the answer to that is no. Damn, if she doesn’t look happy, Max. I guess all I can say is, whatever you are doing, keep it up, but please don’t tell me about it. I don’t even want to think about what my brother and my best friend do behind closed doors.”
“Or out in public at the club or on the island or…” Aly’s voice trailed off, her tone mischievous. Maggie had to struggle not to blush. She was the tough one of the four friends, the ball buster. Nothing embarrassed her or freaked her out, or so she’d always thought. Rebecca was the reserved academic one, Aly was the introverted writer, Jen was the buttoned-down lawyer, and she, Maggie, was the free-spirited photographer. So why was she blushing?
It was funny how things turned out, though. All three of her conservative friends were all living the BDSM lifestyle and she was the vanilla one, and that was fine with her. She’d go back to island, take her photos and show Chris Hayes that she had absolutely no interest in him or his cock, no matter how big and beautiful it was.
“So, speaking of the island, today is the day where I find out if I’ve gotten the jobs. I have to tell you guys that I’m super confident.” Maggie grinned.
“Super confident? What are you, twelve?” Aly’s voice was teasing.
“You saw the photos. They turned out better than I could ever have imagined. They are going to call me today with the official confirmation.” Maggie fished her cell phone out of her purse and set it beside her plate. “They said they’d notify me today about both jobs, and I couldn’t sleep last night planning out the photo shoots in my head.”
She looked over to her friend and her brother and realized that they weren’t smiling with her. In fact, Max looked like he was about to have a root canal, and Aly looked like she was going to be sick.
“Okay. I’m not the most sensitive person in the room, but even I can tell that something’s wrong. What’s up, Aly? Max trying to turn you into a puppy again?”
Aly blushed, and Maggie laughed. “You going to let him teach you to fetch?”
Aly turned a brighter red. “Um, yes, but that’s not, I mean. Well it was just his birthday and I…”
“She means,” Max interjected, “that the fact that she makes a darned cute puppy is not why…” He took a deep breath. “Maggie, you only got one of the jobs.” He
paused and took two envelopes out of his jacket pocket and placed them in front of her. “They loved your photos, but they are only offering you the brochure job.”
Maggie felt like there was a rock in the pit of her stomach. She thought she was going to be sick. She hadn’t realized just how much she wanted, and was counting on, the book job.
“I don’t understand. The photos were beautiful. Everyone said so. You both said so…” Her voice trailed off as the disappointment tore through her, threatening to spill out as tears, and she didn’t want to cry in front of her friends. Crying was done in private when you were alone. One never let anyone see your pain. Ever.
“They were…” Max started, but was interrupted by his wife.
“They are beautiful, Maggie. Beautiful and stunning and perfect for the brochure.”
“But not for Jillian’s book.” Her tone was flat. She felt defeated and wanted nothing more than to get away by herself and lick her wounds in private. The photos represented some of the most beautiful, personal work she’d ever done, and they were being rejected. She was being rejected. Again.
“Do you guys feel that way? Aly?” She knew her voice was rising and had a hysterical edge. She fought to control herself. “Aly, what’s wrong with the photos?”
“I think they are beautiful…”
This time it was her husband who interrupted.
“They are beautiful, Maggie. But the evaluation team felt there was something missing. They are perfect for the brochure and they can’t wait to have you visit the island for the formal photo shoot, but the brochure is, well, it’s a bit impersonal. Jillian’s book is about people. It’s evolved since it was first conceived as a companion piece to Joshua’s book, The Dominant’s Guide. It’s become a very personal narrative of her discovery of BDSM. It’s going to contain other subs’ stories as well, Andie, Serena and Zack, Lindy, and others.
“The problem is that your photos lacked the emotional connection to the subject. They’ve seen your other work and are in awe of it. You have always connected emotionally to your subjects when you were doing photojournalism. Those award-winning photos you took after the hurricane were great because of how you portrayed the people. Hell, the photos you took of those homeless children deserved each and every award you won. Your emotional connection to the subjects was palpable. They didn’t see that with these photos, and the book needs that.”
Maggie was silent for a moment, turning the words over in her mind.
“But”—her voice was tentative—“I did have a connection, kind of. I played with Carter and Dalton Hayes. I submitted to them.”
“Did you really?” her friend asked.
Before she could answer, Max stood.
“I don’t want to be here for this conversation. Look, sis. If you want to talk to someone who actually has some influence over this, give Chris Hayes a call or go see him.”
“Chris Hayes? What the hell does a construction manager know about photography?”
“Well, besides the fact that he’s a Dom and the subject matter is submission, I’d say he was a bit of an expert.”
“As are you.”
“But I’m not an artist.”
“And he is?”
“Did you see the paintings in the reception area of the club?”
“You mean those gorgeous nudes?”
“Yup. Those are Chris’s work.”
Maggie barely noticed as Max ruffled her hair and fled.
“That asshole caveman created those beautiful delicate works of art?”
* * * *
The ringing phone caught Chris by surprise. He’d expect Maggie to come and confront him in person. To his disappointment, it was just his brothers.
“Well?” Dalton could be a man of few words.
“Well what?”
“Well what? Well, have you spoken to her yet? Have you convinced her to submit to us yet?” Carter was definitely not a man of few words. “She’s ours, damn it, and if you’ve blown this, I’m going to fly up there and geld you!”
“No need for such extremes, brother. It has only been an hour since I got off the phone with Josh and the others and only half an hour since I got off the phone with the two of you. Max probably hasn’t had time to tell her yet. Once he does, I expect her to be paying me a personal visit. And I promise you, I won’t blow it.
“But until she arrives, I have work to do if I want to be able to leave Hunter in charge while I’m down on the island for a few weeks with you meatheads.”
“Time well spent.” Dalton again. “Are you going to sell to him?”
“Partnership.” Chris could be as taciturn as his brother when it suited him.
“Good. We need the Hayes brothers together again. The island is a beautiful place to live, Chris. And we’ve found the perfect place for you to build a home for all of us and our sub and, someday, maybe to start a family.”
Chris swallowed hard, not wanting to get his hopes up, but he could picture Maggie with him and his brothers, laughing and loving and someday being round with their child. He had only spent a matter of hours with her on the island before their disastrous final conversation, but he felt he knew her from her photographs. Only someone who was caring and compassionate could create the great art that she did, walking that fine line between exposing pain and sorrow and exploiting it.
“Gotta go. I have an appointment with Rey Montoya in a few minutes, and then I’m expecting our Maggie to show up shortly after that.
“Wish me luck.”
“Luck!” His brothers spoke simultaneously before hanging up.
Chris sighed. He would need it.
* * * *
Carter turned to Dalton.
“So you think he can do it?”
“I hope so.”
“Did we make a mistake?”
“What are you talking about, Carter?”
“Fucking Maggie. Was Chris right? Should we have waited? Maybe she’ll think we aren’t real Doms. We did let her Top from the bottom.”
“Yeah and we also spanked her and tied her up.”
Carter started pacing. He always paced to let off steam or when he was stressed. Sometimes he thought that maybe he should have been the personal trainer and Dalton could be the chef, but then he realized that he probably would lose all of his clients when he got frustrated and started ranting like a madman in the gym. In the kitchen he could get away with it to a certain extent. He was an artist in that room, as much of an artist as his brother Chris was with paints. He knew he was good, and that was why they put up with is temper tantrums. Of course, even when he was in the throes of one, he made sure that he never abused any individual. He was more of a general yeller and banger of pots who stomped around predicting doom and gloom and fallen soufflés, much to the amusement of the kitchen staff.
He also felt bad afterward and vowed never to raise his voice again, which always made everyone chuckle because they knew that the next time there was a crisis he would lose it again.
“Damn it, Carter, you’re making me dizzy. Sit down and chill. There’s nothing we can do now. It’s all in Chris’s hands.”
Carter knew Dalton was right, and that was what was killing him. To have met the woman of all their dreams and have had her slip away had hurt, but they knew she was going to leave the island. He and Dalton had fantasized that if they fucked her brains out she’d suddenly change her mind and stay, but of course, she hadn’t. They’d been too embarrassed to admit that was their plan to Chris. It had been doomed from the start.
“What if she doesn’t come back, Dalton? What do we do then?”
“Hell, what if she does come back but all she wants is a roll in the hay again and a few lessons in submission?”
“Then we go back to our original plan, the one we hashed out before Chris’s call. We ask for a leave of absence from our jobs, fly up to Chicago, and show her that we are serious.”
“Yeah and scare the pants of her as three Doms on a tight timetable try t
o convince her that they are all meant to be together.”
“Then we’ll have to quit our jobs, Dalton, and take whatever amount of time it takes. But maybe that won’t be necessary. If Chris can convince her to come back to the island and let us be her trainers, we can show her how we feel. Hell, we only knew her a week, but I think I’m in love with her.”
Carter started pacing again. He knew intellectually that he hadn’t known her long enough to love her, but he did. From the moment he’d set eyes on her laughing brown eyes, he’d been lost.
“Hell, Carter. I know I’m in love with her. I shouldn’t be. I barely know her, but it’s real. I half thought that if I fucked her then the feeling would go away, but it has just gotten stronger. She’s the one I want to grow old with. She’s smart and funny and hot and kind and compassionate…”
“…and scared of the notion of submitting. What if she can’t bring herself to truly submit? Can you, can we, ever be satisfied with anything else in the bedroom?”
“That’s a question I hope we never have to answer, Dalton. Now I’m going to go cook something to take my mind off all this waiting. I wonder where my soufflé pan is?”
Chapter Four
It was close to two hours after the phone call, although she didn’t know it, that Maggie strode through the front door of Hayes Construction and down the hall, following the directions the very startled receptionist had given her. She was so angry that she was pretty sure that steam was coming out of her ears.
